our story

how letters of love began

Hello! My name is Grace Berbig, I am the Founder & President of Letters of Love — a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization that provides emotional support for patients in children’s hospitals across the world.

First of all, I want to thank you for supporting this organization. Letters of Love means the entire world to me, and there are not enough words to express my deep gratitude for all of the love we have received, and for each wonderful person that is a part of our growing family. Thank you for being a part of the team who fights to put smiles on the faces of children who are fighting a battle that no kid ever should.

Lots of people ask what inspired me to start Letters of Love. My answer, in short, is my mom. She is, and forever will be, credited for every accomplishment Letters of Love has made. When I was ten years old, my mom was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer located in the blood. At such a young age I had no idea what cancer was, or why my mom was suddenly living in the hospital.

I did know, however, that I was going to make sure she knew that even though my family and I couldn’t be there with her, we were thinking of her, supporting her, and loving her every second of her journey. Almost every day, my two little sisters and I would make piles of cards to plaster on my moms hospital walls, filling them with love and support.

I have the happiest memories of getting to visit my mom, running up and piling on her hospital bed with my sisters, and showing her all of our cards. She would look through each one with a gleaming smile, give us kisses on the head, and put them on her wall right in front of her bed. When I was 11, my beautiful, strong, brave mother lost her battle with cancer.

After she passed away, I vowed to myself that I would devote my life to helping people who were fighting battles similar to my mom. I was inspired to create good and help people who are going through something similar as my mom did, and it has become my dream and passion to give back and change the world with kindness. 

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My junior year of high school, I decided I wanted there to be a way for everyone to be able to make a difference without having to worry about their personal financial situation; a way for young people to help without money. In September of 2018, I remembered the cards my sisters and I made our mom, and had the idea to start a club where students could have the opportunity to emotionally support children battling cancer and other serious illnesses. Students could come and make cards, tie-blankets, friendship bracelets, and other support items for patients at the Children’s Hospital of Minnesota.

I officially began Letters of Love as a club September 26th, 2018, at Orono High School. Since then, we have grown more than I ever could have imagined. We now donate to 60+ hospitals, and have 284 active chapters across the nation actively participating in Letters of Love. We have received cards from over 18 different countries.

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There are thousands of Letters of Love members across the world, spreading positivity and kindness one card and a time. I am so proud to say that Letters of Love has had the honor of sending over 425,000 cards to patients in pediatric hospitals around the world. I am so thrilled to see how far this organization goes, as we continue to work towards our goal of providing emotional support for each and every patient in every Children’s Hospital across the world.